


Faded Stars

by strangeDarkness



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Standalone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25582645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeDarkness/pseuds/strangeDarkness
Summary: Allegiances: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NKXhr2e_wQeMCtygyX9cXMWf7i_pOJ6iEVu4abM-JWw/edit?usp=sharingPlease consider becoming a patron! It helps me to continue the story as well as create videos on my youtube channel, Dewy Studioshttps://www.patreon.com/dewystudios?fan_landing=trueMany generations have passed since the stories of Firestar, Bramblestar and the many others in that age. Starclan has lost much of its influence over the clans and many have begun to doubt them in the harshest of times. As their influence fades, so too do they.





	1. Prologue

_A nearly translucent she-cat_ padded into a cave, stars speckling her light grey pelt. She took her place among four other cats of varying transparency and sat down, resting her fluffy tail against her paws. A dark brown tom beside her dipped his head in greeting.

"Thank you for joining us, Dovefrost. As I am sure you already know, I would never call upon you and the others unless it was necessary." The tom meowed curtly.

Dovefrost gave the tom a nod. "Of course, Redpelt. I assume that we are meeting to discuss the same matter as usual?" She laughed softly.

Redpelt straightened himself up, looking towards the pool of water in front of them. "Yes, well..." He hesitated for a moment, gazing into the crystalline water. "I believe that there are darker days ahead than what we are facing now. Perhaps days that could destroy Starclan forever."

Dovefrost's eyes widened. "Destroy Starclan? How can that be?"

A white tom stepped forward, his expression grim. "There have been whispers that the Place of No Stars is rising once more."

"But Whitefur, the Dark Forest hasn't been heard from in such a long time! How can you be so sure?" Dovefrost tilted her head in concern.

Whitefur closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "A few Starclan cats have gone missing close to the border. We fear that they have been killed as there have been signs of attacks there."

Dovefrost shook her head. "Surely you must be mistaken, but if it is true, why must this be discussed by medicine cats and not leaders?" She gazed at Whitefur. "Unless you mean to involve the living in this."

Whitefur gave her a nod, placing a paw on the pool. "I propose that we choose cats that can bring Starclan back into the primary focus in the clans. Redpelt and I have already decided on cats from our old clans. It is up to you, Daisywing, and Ripplesplash to decide for your clans."

The reflection in the pool changed to show a young Thunderclan cat. Whitefur spoke confidently. "I have chosen Tinypaw to be Thunderclan's representative."

Whitefur stepped back, allowing Redpelt to place his paw in the pool. "I have chosen Beepaw as the representative of Shadowclan"

Dovefrost watched as Daisywing chose Breezepaw for Windclan and Ripplesplash chose Heronpaw for Riverclan. Finally it was her turn. Dovefrost stepped towards the pool, closing her eyes as she placed her paw in the water.

"While I have my doubts about your suspicions, Whitefur, I will not allow Skyclan to be in the dark during this time. I choose Foxpaw to represent Skyclan."

Whitefur stood up. "Then it is decided. These five cats will be the only hope that Starclan, and all of the living clans have. I trust you all to reach out to them." He then padded out of the cave, as did the other medicine cats.

Dovefrost lingered for a moment, her gaze upon the pool. "I do hope you are wrong, Whitefur." It was then that she walked out of the cave and back to Skyclan's eternal hunting ground territory.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please consider becoming a patron! It helps me to continue the story as well as create videos on my youtube channel, Dewy Studios. I am also considering allowing patrons to insert their characters into the story, either as Starclan/Dark Forest cats, or living cats.  
> https://www.patreon.com/dewystudios?fan_landing=true

_TINYPAW_

__

_“And what do we use poppy seed for?”_ Tinypaw sniffed at the small, black seeds that his mentor, Robinflight, had set out for him. He had only been an apprentice for a few days, but he felt like he had already learned so much.

He looked up once he had his answer. “Poppy seeds help cats sleep, right?” Robinflight nodded, giving him a _mrrow_ of praise.

“Very good, Tinypaw. Though poppy seed can help ease a cat’s shock as well. We use it to help a grieving cat or an injured cat.” She then grabbed the bundle of seeds with her teeth and placed them back in her herb store. Tinypaw straightened himself out, curling his tail around his paws.

Tinypaw was, as his namesake suggested, quite small for his age. He was the smallest in his litter and that did not change through out his six moons of life. His siblings, Willowpaw and Whirlpaw were always teasing him about his size, and how they could always overpower him when they would play in the nursery.

Now, his siblings were training to be warriors and he was stuck in the medicine den. Tinypaw didn’t mind it too much though. He liked the mix of smells that came from the herbs. He also knew that he would have struggled as a warrior anyway.

Robinflight returned from her herb store and gazed down at her apprentice. “I hope you didn’t forget that tonight we meet with the other medicine cats.”

Tinypaw nodded, excitement in his paws causing him to stand up. “How could I? I’ve been wondering what the others are like since you told me about it!”

Robinflight purred before licking her paw and cleaning her forehead. “I can imagine. I remember my first time at the Moonpool. My mentor, Whitefur had threatened to use poppy seeds on me if I didn’t calm down.”

“Is that why you brought the seeds out for me to identify?” Tinypaw’s ears went back in feign terror. Robinflight shook her head, amused.

“Of course not, Tinypaw. You seem to have a much more level head than I did at your age.” She then turned to look towards the entrance of the den. “Why don’t you get some food and spend some time with the other apprentices? I’ll come fetch you when it’s time to leave.”

Tinypaw nodded, happy to be done with training for the time being. He headed outside into the clearing of Thunderclan’s camp and over to the fresh kill pile. He grabbed a tasty-looking mouse off the pile and headed over to a nice, sunny spot to eat.

Digging into his mouse, he watched as the sunhigh patrol returned. His sister, Willowpaw walked beside her mentor, Ashclaw. When she saw him, she looked to her mentor and seemed to murmur something to him before bounding over to Tinypaw.

“Hey Tinypaw!” Willowpaw sat down beside him, watching him eat. She seemed excited about something.

“Hey Willowpaw.” Tinypaw gave his sister a nod of greeting before taking another bite of his meal. “How was your patrol?”

Willowpaw puffed out her chest proudly. “Ashclaw took me to the Windclan border and we got to meet some Windclan cats. They tried to tease us but we scared them off!”

Tinypaw flicked his ear, amused. “I bet it’s not hard to scare a Windclan cat. All they do is run, right?”

Willowpaw chuckled softly. “They probably do more than that, but yeah. They run pretty fast. Just like we’re the strongest clan by the lake!”

Tinypaw finished his mouse, setting the remains aside. “Well, I get to see what the Moonpool is like tonight. I’m pretty excited about that. Maybe when you become leader, you’ll see it too.”

Willowpaw nodded, seemingly entertaining the thought of being leader in her head. “It had better be me and not Whirlpaw. He’d make a terrible leader! I hear he got stuck in a patch of brambles when he first went outside the camp.”

Tinypaw tried to hold back his amusement, but failed. “So that’s why he came to the Medicine Den with thorns all over him. I thought I’d never hear the end of his whimpering! How is he supposed to be a warrior if he can’t handle a little pain?”

Willowpaw opened her mouth to reply when the clan leader, Sootstar, stepped out of his den with the deputy, Flowerheart, at his side and Ashclaw behind them. The dark tom leapt onto the highledge, a troubled look in his gaze.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highledge for a clan meeting.” Sootstar called out. Tinypaw’s clanmates started to gather around.

Tinypaw looked over at his sister, wondering if she knew what this was about. She shook her head before turning to look up at Sootstar.

Sootstar sat down, seemingly studying the clan before speaking. “Cats of Thunderclan, Ashclaw has reported that Windclan is trying to cause trouble on our border. He claims that they are slowly trying to push their border markings into our territory. As your leader, I cannot let this slide. That is why I have decided that we will be increasing our patrols along the Windclan border and, if we catch Windclan in the act of moving the border, we will retaliate and show them that Thunderclan is as strong as ever.” He paused, taking a breath.

“I also want every apprentice learning battle skills, taking priority over hunting skills. This includes our medicine cat apprentice, Tinypaw.” Sootstar looked over at Tinypaw.

Tinypaw was nervous at the sound of that. Did his leader want him to fight? He was a medicine cat! He healed wounds, not caused them. The clan seemed to have all of their eyes on him at that moment and he shrunk down, embarrassed. What if he couldn’t fight? Would they still treat him like a clanmate?

Willowpaw noticed her brother’s apprehension and nudged him, whispering. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you learn. I doubt he’ll make you actually fight in battle. It’s probably more of a precaution.”

That didn’t ease Tinypaw’s nerves, but he gave his sister an appreciative nod. “Thank you, Willowpaw.”

Sootstar continued on with the meeting, though Tinypaw hadn’t heard what he had said until now. “If Windclan continues to test us, we will show them a war. Be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. That will be all for now, return to your duties.” And with that, he hopped down, returning to his den. Flowerheart headed to the fresh kill pile and Ashclaw padded to the warrior’s den to rest.

Tinypaw sighed, giving his sister an apologetic goodbye before heading back to the medicine den. He could just tell that there was trouble on the horizon, but at least he would see his warrior ancestors soon.

Later that night, Tinypaw was nudged awake by Robinflight. “It’s time to go to the Moonpool, Tinypaw. Are you ready?”

Tinypaw opened his eyes, groggy from his short nap. It had grown darker outside of the den. When he came back to his senses, he realized what was about to happen and nearly jumped up in excitement.

Robinflight let out a mrrow of amusement before resting her tail along his back. “Come on then. Let’s meet with the other medicine cats.”

Tinypaw followed Robinflight outside of the camp, his ears pricked for the sounds of owls and crickets. It was currently Leaffall and the air was growing colder. Tinypaw had never experienced Leafbare before. He had heard stories of long, hunger-filled moons in bitter cold air. Some cats would claim that he would be able to walk on the lake, but he completely doubted that.

Heading towards the lake, the two of them soon met with the Windclan Medicine Cat, Goldenspring. Her golden fur shined in the pale moonlight. Robinflight dipped her head respectfully in greeting. “Greetings, Goldenspring, how are things over in Windclan?”

Goldenspring straightened herself out before meowing. “Everything is going well, is that the same for Thunderclan?”

Tinypaw couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to be gathering information for Windclan. He looked over at his mentor, though Robinflight seemed to keep a straight face as she spoke. “Thunderclan is doing well and preparing for leafbare as best as we can.”

Goldenspring nodded, standing up as Voletail of Skyclan, Duckfeather and Badgerleaf of Riverclan, and Tansybird of Shadowclan approached them. Duckfeather, who was said to be the oldest cat in Riverclan, possible around the whole lake, spoke up.

“Everyone is here, let’s go.” He continued on towards Windclan territory. Tinypaw could see that he was very frail and likely didn’t have much long left before he joined Starclan. Badgerleaf followed dutifully behind the older Medicine Cat. Tinypaw wondered if Badgerleaf took on most of the duties now that Duckfeather was so old.

Soon, the group of Medicine Cats padded up to the entrance to the Moonpool, a small body of water in a stone hollow. Tinypaw looked around in amazement. It was much more beautiful than he imagined. The water looked so fresh and clear, as well as bright under the moonlight. Robinflight leaned in close to whisper. “Are you ready, Tinypaw? It’s time to be introduced to the others.” She rested her tail along his spine and he shivered with nervousness, but nodded nonetheless.

The other cats sat around the pool, watching as Robinflight started to speak with an authority that Tinypaw had only heard from Sootstar. _Of course! Things were different here!_ He thought to himself.

“Tonight, we welcome a new Medicine Cat Apprentice among our ranks. Tinypaw has chosen this path and it is my duty to welcome him to speak with our ancestors now. Tinypaw, please step forward.” Robinflight gazed down at him as he took a hesitant step forward.

“Tinypaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of Starclan as a Medicine Cat?” Robinflight meowed expectantly, awaiting for his answer.

Tinypaw nodded, looking around as the other cats watched him. “It is.”

Robinflight dipped her head, closing her eyes as she spoke again. “Warriors o Starclan, I present you with this apprentice. He has chosen the path of a Medicine Cat. Grant him your wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and heal his clan in accordance with your will.”

Tinypaw listened intently, looking up at the sky, wondering if Starclan was watching him now. Would they approve of him? Would they speak to him?

Robinflight nudged him and he realized that he had let his thoughts distract him. “Go on and drink from the pool and let sleep come over you.”

Tinypaw turned his head back to the pool and padded towards it, laying down before reaching his muzzle forward to lap at the water. _It’s so cold,_ he thought to himself. Exhaustion flooded over him and the last thing he saw before closing his eyes was his fellow Medicine Cats doing the same as he had just done.

When he reopened his eyes, he was in a forest that seemed similar to Thunderclan’s territory. Walking around, he realized that he couldn’t smell the usual scents of the forest.

A white cat could be seen up ahead and Tinypaw bounded towards them. The cat turned around to face him and Tinypaw knew that this cat was a stranger to him, but smelled faintly like Thunderclan.

“Are you a Starclan cat?” He asked curiously. The white cat nodded and leaned towards him, his eyes glistening.

“Welcome, Tinypaw. I am glad to finally meet you. I’ve been expecting you.” The cat meowed, curling his tail around his paws. “I am Whitefur and I was Thunderclan’s Medicine Cat before Robinflight. I died quite some time before you were born of a sickness that swept through our clan.”

Tinypaw dipped his head in respect. “So, you wanted to talk to me then?”

Whitefur shook his head. “Not talk. I wanted to show you something important. Something that could affect the fate of the clans. Follow me.” He then stood up and started to walk. Tinypaw followed him until they came up to a pool of water.

Whitefur reached out his paw to touch the water and the reflection changed to a scene of cats fighting against each other with shadowy figures beside them. Tinypaw let out a small gasp as he saw his sister, Willowpaw, grappling with a larger cat until she had her throat ripped out. Tinypaw stared at the scene in horror, shaking with fear.

“Is this happening now?!” He asked, looking to Whitefur who shook his head.

“No, but it might happen in the future. Just remember that the shadows cannot be trusted, and you must turn to the light to be rid of them. If you don’t, you will be cast into darkness.” And with that, the white tom faded, leaving Tinypaw alone with the pool.

He stared at it for a moment before consciousness returned to him and he woke up beside the Moonpool. Looking around with a racing heart, he saw that the other cats were also starting to wake up.

_How could they be so calm when his own dreams were filled with such horror? Was this how all of his visits with Starclan would be?_


End file.
